I changed the last chapter up a bit to allow for more build up and the sort. I'm bad at moods and basically writing based on human emotions so please tell me if I need to improve on something. Thanks so much for going this far for me.

Master Apollon really wasn't actually that old. He just has this thing going on that constantly seemed to change the way he aged.

For example, one day he'll look like an ordinary forty-three year old man going through his midlife crisis and the next year he was the sickly ninety-seven year old grandpa we all had to help cross the street.

And apparently in the last decade since I left L'arc Sibyl (I swear to the higher beings up above that I had his permission to too), he had gotten a hang of it because he had literally de-aged almost forty years from a short sixty year old coot to a taller muscular man in his late twenties no older than me as he walked closer and closer towards us.

I was frozen in shock at all the possibilities that this could mean.

A) He was either very happy to see me and wanted a great big hug from me and my dragon slayer friends without worrying about breaking his back or B) I managed to mess up somewhere somehow and he was beyond pissed at me and I was about to get my ass handed to me. Again.

I swallowed nervously as I stared down at my fingers. His shadow looming over me and Sting ominously.

Somewhere from his corner of the mat, I could hear Rogue growl protectively as he pulled Fro over onto his lap. Even Sting seemed to shift his knees a bit so that he was slightly in front of me.

"Lilian," I heard Apollon glower over me, his voice rumbling with each syllable. I didn't answer and kept staring at my fingers when suddenly an arm obscured my vision and I turned my head to Sting who was glaring at him, growling under his breath just as Rogue had.

"Is there anything we can help you with?" I heard him say timidly beside me, shocked at the calmness he managed to keep in his voice and words. I had expected him to challenge my old guild master not engage in a little conversation with him.

But years under Gemma could do that to you, I guess...

Years of pain and under strict rules and oh god...

"You must be the Sting Eucliffe that I've heard so much about," he replied flatly and then turned his vision to Rogue, "and you are Rogue Cheney."

None of them said a thing as the Master scanned them thoroughly and turned his attention back to me. I looked up at him just as he motioned me to stand up.

I did without question and mentally prepared myself for what was about to happen next, trying not to feel touched at how Sting had righted himself into a squat so he could pounce at him if he did hurt me. I tried to shake it off as a friendly gesture. Tried to shake it off as an obligation of a friend and not anything more than what was between us before what happened to his cat.

Even thinking it along those lines made me feel horrible.

I matched my master's calculative stare just as all the red began to settle onto his face and I realized that yes I did screw up. And I literally had no way to run away and that the position I was in was just asking for what was going to happen to happen as his hands began to shake.

I quickly gave a small wave to Sting, a simple yet violent swooping of my wrist before Master Apollon grabbed my shoulders and got up in my face. Sting shot upwards anyhow.

"The one day I don't attend the games and you decide to parade right on in and tell everyone that you're back!" He screamed in my face and I whimpered in his grasp. Everyone sitting around us had all turned to stare at the commotion but had quickly turned back to whatever they were doing when they realized just who was at fault. Sting looked like he was prepared to perform a breath attack when Apollon continued, "everyone knew about your return but Daddy! How could you?!"

I turned red in embarrassment as I turned away and tried out to tune out Sting's confused cussing.

"Master Apol-"

"Daddy."

"Daddy, let me explain..." I muttered under my breath and tried to ignore Sting's still shocked form, stepping out of Apollon's grip.

One of the reasons why L'arc Sibyl was so family like was because the guild master literally promoted strong family ties. If something was amidst in your home, Apollon would literally go home with you and try to sort it all out. If your mom was cheating on your dad, he would play the chain and prevent a family from breaking up. If you got into a fight with your parents, he'd go and try to resolve it. If you weren't at your prime, he'd go to your parents while you were at the guild and have a talk with them about what was going on in your life.

The problem with the guild-step orphans were also handled likewise.

I didn't know the full story but apparently, a long long time ago Apollon was married but his wife couldn't bear him any children. So to quell for the loss of his wife and to fill the empty hole in his heart, he called all the members who joined his guild his children. And he strongly urged the ones that were younger than him to call him daddy.

Well more like forced rather than strongly urged. But you get the idea.

"You don't need to explain to me, dear daughter!" He cried dramatically as he took a step back and placed a hand on his forehead. I fought back the strong urge to slap my own. "I know what you've been up to!"

"No um... I don't think..." I tried to cut in but the words had failed me as I exchanged looks with Rogue as he shrugged and relaxed in his spot.

"You're at that age where you have certain urges..." he began and I paled at what he had just implied.

Beside me, Sting loosened up and had started to laugh like a hyena in hysterics.

"You are not giving me the sex talk!" I covered my ears and started to sing obnoxiously as Apollon tried to get me to listen to him about doing it safe.

Sting was holding his stomach in pain by the time Apollon finally finished his speech with a somewhat satisfied look on his face.

But he wasn't finished just yet. Like lightning he turned to the still laughing Sting and pointed an accusing finger at him, "and you!"

The white dragon slayer raised a brow at the sight and tried to look at me for help. Help he would get none of because I was cupping my face in my hands in complete and utter embarrassment at the realization of what he was about to do next.

"You better treat my dear Lilian right! Or I swear I will-" Sting's shoulders shook with an escaped chuckle and even Rogue looked like he was trying deathly hard to keep it in, "- and remember. She is a flower. You must treat her gently."

And with that, he walked away and it wasn't long until the two of them broke into the longest fits of laughter I ever seen them have.

I groaned into my hands just as a small round of chuckles joined them.

It wasn't till later that I realized with a start that everything was just going to go downhill when Krued had challenged Sting to another fight and Rogue left with Fro to god knows where with Emily and I was joined by the girls who were all hurdled up in a gossip circle- or triangle since the female slayer left.

"So..." Cecelia, who was sitting on my right, smirked and leaned towards me. Resting her elbow on my knee as she stared at me with eyes that glinted mischievously, "you and Sting Eucliffe, huh?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked nervously as I leaned back to my left but had retreat back to my original position when V joined in on the teasing, leaning forward so fast we almost bashed heads.

"Don't play dumb! You're boyfriend and girlfriend!?" She made it seem like it was so natural and I just had to blush at the thought.

"Are we- nooo..." I denied vehemently and shook my head. Even if I'd like for it to happen, I knew it wouldn't. "What makes you think that?"

"Come on girl, you guys were sooo flirting earlier! What with the airborne roses and bubble hearts and what not!" Cece practically sang the last part as she rocked herself forwards and backwards on the picnic mat, "you can so see the love, man!"

V was nodding her head ferociously at that, taking a bite out of her apple as they both turned to red-faced me.

"No... We're best friends." I said right off the bat without any hesitation. They did a double take at that as I tried to fan myself and looked in the direction where Krued and Sting had headed off to fight.

Which just so happened to be in the middle of the park, but it seemed like to me that they were doing more talking than fighting.

"Besides, he doesn't have the time for- why are you looking at me like that?" I stared in confusion as V stared at me shocked and Cece placed her hands on either side of her face and mock screamed in distress.

Somewhere in the distance, a punch was being thrown and a person was sent flying with it.

"Lilian you can't possibly be..." V started nervously and exchanged a shocked expression with Cece.

"Can't possibly be what?" I asked in leaned forward, eager to see what they were going on about.

"Lilian how long have we known you?" Cece asked after a moment of silence, staring at me with calculative eyes. Something in me made me wonder if it was a trick question.

"Long enough..." I started suspiciously and looked away, turning my attention back on the brawl between Sting and Krued that was starting to look more and more like a stress relief strategy. Truthfully, I didn't really remember how long it had been since I joined L'arc Sibyl and left.

I heard V and Cece sigh next to me as if this simple gesture solved all their questions.

"You're in love with him." One of them said in a definite tone, my head spun and I could've sworn I heard Azalia say the same thing.

"No I'm not," I countered almost immediately. The arguments I constantly had with myself in my head had readied me to say it in the exact straight-faced way.

Cece and V exchanged looks again and I watched as Cece get up and obscure my view of the boy's battle. I didn't move an inch as I looked up and noticed the hard expression on her face.

"Face it, Lilian. You're so blinded by your love that you can't even see the bigger picture." For some reason that sentence and the way she said it irked me in a not so good way. I felt my temper rise as I balled up my fists and reminded myself to count to ten in my head.

Cece was a street singer. And singers- and any other artsy person, in my philosophy, were very impulsive yet passionate people. They were so in touch with themselves that it just made them so straight forward and unafraid to say and do what they want. And for someone like Cece who liked to sing and write songs and the like, the topic of love was basically elementary to her.

Which honestly only made me feel more angrier for some reason.

"It's just a puppy crush," I muttered and hugged my knees against my chest. Laying my head on my kneecaps as I looked the opposite direction, "I wouldn't damage our friendship by confessing."

I turned my head back to examine their reactions. Some part of me drifted elsewhere as I glimpsed tidbits of cinnamon hot emotions gushing through V's eyes as I thought bitterly to myself. The most I will only ever be Lector's temporary substitute to him.

Lector.

His exceed.

The one he lost.

The one we- I essentially sacrificed in this charade.

None of it was actually making me feel any better as a human being.

"You've changed, Lilian..." Cece's voice, though I wasn't paying attention, managed to make its way piercing into my chest. Like a dagger ripping into flesh and skinning me alive from the inside out.

But before Cece could elaborate I felt a punch against my right cheek. I was so off guard that I jumped up a little bit and managed to land on my bum, staring in disbelief at my attacker.

"She's right. You're not the same person you were before you were kidnapped." En stood over me, glowering and rubbing his knuckles as he stared down at me all so condescendingly.

I felt my blood boil at the sight of my old team mate and something in me just snapped as if it was waiting for this moment my entire life.

I felt anger surge through my veins at his words and I screamed.

And it was deathly quiet.

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